Chapter 2 – Part 3

“I am in that kind of relationship where I receive money from him.”

“Anne, you’re being paid?”

Kyle stared at Anne and shook his head in disbelief, then grabbed her shoulder.

“Exactly what it sounds like, Kyle. Sadly, I know my place too well.”

What a ridiculous thing to say. Kyle furrowed his brow at the comment and exclaimed.

“Have you lost your mind and realized that this is a real war zone?”

“Yeah. I guess I did.”

“Anne!”

Kyle’s sincere reprimand put Anne’s mind at ease.

Anne was soon to join the reconnaissance mission in the Calohas region, and the field hospital kept weighing on her mind.

She hoped people would remember her as someone who had an odd superior rather than leaving with tearful farewells.

For Evan, it was better that rumors spread about him having a casual fling with a commoner than the reality of being attached to one. Such rumors would be far less damaging to his reputation.

D*mn, this was the noble society here.

“Kyle. I hope you understand.”

“Anne, I’m your best friend, I can’t understand this.”

“I’m sorry. I hope I can explain later.”

“Given how I know why you’ve been obsessed with money since you first came here, isn’t it enough already?”

It was a bitterly cold night when Kyle first saw Anne Riley.

Through the blowing snow, a skinny, dirt-covered woman stumbled in, and all she said was, “I’d like something to eat.”

Everyone here knew that.

When the eldest son of the Evian family, who was visiting the field hospital at the time, saw her and said, ‘Are you treating beggars now? Why give them decent bread? Just throw some spoiled stuff their way,’ everyone clicked their tongues.

When a medic handed her a stale loaf, Anne snatched it up with great urgency.

Kyle looked at her wistfully, remembering the way she’d gulped down the moldy bread without a glass of water.

‘So, Anne, I know why you’re obsessed with money. But this isn’t right.’

Kyle was the one who knew the most details about how Anne had been treated in the field hospital and what she had dreamed about.

This was the Anne he’d been assured would have a day like any other: wake up in the morning, go grocery shopping, come home with a basket full of apples, and enjoy her leisure time.

And now this.

Kyle felt disappointment bubble up inside him, but he tried not to let it show. All he could do was keep his mouth shut and support her.

Anne tapped Kyle on the shoulder and opened her mouth to answer his question.

“Kyle, do you think my situation is okay?”

“…You’re up for the challenge, and you’re willing to do whatever it takes, so I think there’s more….”

“You don’t get it. Even here at the field hospital, I’m just a lieutenant in name. To the higher-ups, my war accomplishments were likely rewarded with a raise out of pity. My treatment? It’s not just the Evian family. To them, I’m still a beggar begging for medical supplies, worse than their pets. I’m someone who gets hit when told to and barks when ordered. Even if I said I’m taking payment…”

Kyle’s wounded eyes bore into Anne’s.

Anne pursed her lips and shook her head at the look on his face, as if she had done something terribly wrong.

She would leave soon anyway.

She wished, just maybe, for a little happiness in Calohas.

If the bombs fell on Calohas and it was too dangerous for anyone to survive….

‘Can’t I dream for just a moment?’

Maybe, just for a moment…

‘It might be better to let everything go and close my eyes forever.’

As soon as Anne thought about it, she had to admit it.

That she was in love with Evan.

Could she ever let go of his hand that held hers?

She didn’t want to smile, to believe there was hope, to hold a life of ruin in her arms.

Even though she knew his affection would last until the war was over at best, she couldn’t help but crave it.

With that thought, Anne felt a pang of pain in her chest and sat up.

“Anne?”

“Ugh….”

Anne placed her hands on the floor, gasping for breath, but each inhalation brought greater pain. Panting heavily, she turned pale with fear.

Realizing she was hyperventilating, Kyle shouted urgently.

“Get a paper bag, now!”

The medics around him did as they had been trained to do, and Kyle grabbed a paper bag and held it to Anne’s face.

“Anne, Anne! Get a hold of yourself, please.”

Kyle calmly helped Anne inflate the bag so she could breathe the air inside.

After some time, he could feel her breathing stabilize.

“Breathing is back to normal!”

“Anne, are you okay?”

Kyle asked, taking the bag from Anne once he was sure she had calmed down. Exhaustion evident on her face.

“Kyle, I’m so tired.”

“…Get some rest.”

Relieved by Kyle’s reassurance, Anne fell into a fitful sleep.

Kyle looked over at Anne, who was now breathing evenly, and wiped the sweat from her brow.

He hadn’t thought anything was wrong, but the sudden change in her complexion worried him.

Outwardly, she looked better nourished than before….

Kyle was confused, especially since he had seen the transformation from the skinny girl he had first seen at the hospital to the young woman who had gained weight and improved her complexion.

His brown eyes trembled with concern.

“Anne!”

He had never experienced such heart-dropping fear, not even when his parents died. Now, his lips quivered with anxiety.

‘Was there ever such a bond of comradeship…?’

The little whisper was sincere. It was an easy question to ask himself, and one he already knew the answer to.

The term ‘comrade’ was a title proving their closeness, yet in the unpredictable war, he couldn’t afford to let romantic feelings complicate things.

Now, knowing where Anne’s heart was, he couldn’t be any closer.

Kyle gave a self-deprecating laugh.

“Realizing my feelings now… what a fool I am…”

‘I’m an idiot.’

Kyle stared at her for a long moment, then turned away, his face sad. All he could do now was hope that Anne would get well.

* * *

“Commander, don’t you think you should rest a little longer?”

“I’ve rested too long already.”

Evan smirked as he rubbed the area Anne had treated.

He remembered Anne’s worried glance at him as she told him the wound was opening up.

It was amusing how concerned she was about such a minor injury.

With such an innocent look on her face….

“What are you thinking about?”

“What do you usually do when there’s a girl who bothers you?”

The subordinate smiled and replied.

“I usually give her a gift, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to give your heart to a girl like that.”

“What?”

Evan’s expression hardened as he stared at his subordinate before turning away.

Normally, such words wouldn’t bother him, but for some reason, they now irritated him.

“You mean Anne Riley, right? If it’s just a casual affair, it doesn’t matter here, but that woman has set an unusual record. If she gets recognized for her achievements and receives a title, it would be troublesome for you, wouldn’t it? Especially since we don’t even know where she came from.”

Evan’s face turned rigid. He knew his subordinate came from a reputable family and that his words reflected common beliefs, yet treating Anne Riley this way was intolerable.

“Vale Aslan. If it weren’t for the war, we wouldn’t be here talking.”

“What? Yes, it is.”

“You should learn to read the room.”

“What?”

“You know full well what you’re getting yourself into if you try to act like a brat in my presence, don’t you?”

Vale Asran’s face paled at the words.

Evan Davis had a reputation for being a gentleman by anyone’s standards, but there were two events that made it difficult for people to feel comfortable around him.

One was Evan’s murder of his father, which earned him the title of duke.

The other was the widespread belief that he was behind the purge of his father’s loyalists.

And this was almost accepted as canon.

Evan Davis was called the Emperor’s dog after he inherited the title.

As if to prove it, several mines and farmlands belonging to the David family were given to the Empire in exchange for the Emperor turning a blind eye to Evan’s purges.

By the time Vale Aslan finally opened his trembling lips, he was already on his knees.

“P-please spare me. I misspoke.”

Evan tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, then had an idea.

“Seeing you like this reminds me of when Count Aslan came begging on his knees to cover up your mistake.”

Vale’s head dropped to the floor at that.

It was a mission to lead a company, including wounded soldiers, back to the base. Upon encountering a small enemy cavalry unit, Vale had panicked and fled with his aides, leaving the company behind to fend for themselves.

The survivors testified about that day, but the incident was covered up by Count Aslan’s hefty donation to the war fund.

If the events of that day were known, Vale would be rumored to be cowardly and weak.

It would be a disgrace to his nobility, a disgrace to his social circle, and a disgrace to his family name.

“…Whatever you do, please preserve the honor of my family.”

Evan rose from his seat and slowly approached Vale, then snapped his arm in one swift motion.

“Agh! Commander, please!”

Evan smirked and whispered,

“Didn’t I warn you to be careful? A dislocated arm can be fixed quickly, right?”

Evan leaned down and patted the man’s shoulder. With each nudge, Vale’s pain increased.

“Ugh… yes, yes!”

“Since my dear subordinate is hurt, I’ll allow you to go to the field hospital. You know where Lieutenant Riley is, don’t you?”

“…Yes, sir, I will.”

“Don’t worry too much; I’ll visit you soon. You can walk there yourself, can’t you?”

“Yes, I will.”

Evan stares impassively at Vale, who stumbled a few times as he tried to get up, unsure if his legs were still strong enough.

Then he walked over to his desk and began reading the papers on Anne Riley.

Anne Riley:

• Lived with a man from her hometown.
• The man fled due to financial difficulties.
• After his departure, she almost starved herself. The villagers tried to feed her, but she disappeared one day.
• It seems she ended up in the field hospital. 

There are suspicious elements; proceed with caution.

“Did she lie?”

Evan’s eyebrows rose sharply, and his narrowed eyes twinkled with amusement.

He remembered Anne’s loyalty as a military doctor, the way she’d tried to keep her word, the twinkle in her eye as she treated her patients.

The way she’d been made a fool of by the Count’s family, too, seemed too foreign to be an act.

He could still see the way her cheeks flushed as she looked at him with warmth whenever he got too close.

“No matter what the truth is, it doesn’t matter. I will have everything I want.”

* * *